News

Hurricane Irma is bringing hazardous sea and weather conditions to many parts of the Caribbean, primarily affecting Anguilla, Turks and Caicos, St Maarten, Antigua & Barbuda, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic so far, moving to Cuba and Florida. The devastation in the British Virgin Islands has been particularly severe. Immediately following Hurricane Irma is Hurricane Jose, which on the current trajectory is likely to hit the same areas.

If you have particular concerns about your relatives or friends, for example specific medical needs or if they are otherwise vulnerable, please call the Foreign & Commonwealth Office hotline on 020 7008 0000 and provide the details to our crisis handling team.

Stephen McPartland, Member of Parliament for Stevenage, said, "Our thoughts are with all those affected by Hurrican Irma. On a practical level the Government is providing direct support with the naval ship RFA Mounts Bay moved from Anguilla to the British Virgin Islands overnight to distribute humanitarian aid there. A £32 million aid package is now available and additional Foreign Office and Department for International Trade specialists and UK troops are going to the area already."

British nationals in areas that may be affected have been advised to follow the advice of the local authorities, including any evacuation orders, and the advice of their tour operator. They should continue to check our travel advice pages on gov.uk, which, where relevant, links to local sources of advice and information on action to take in response to Hurricane Irma.